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Hot Weather Hunting Tips

Hot Weather Hunting Tips

Every early season many a hunter walk away their stand sweaty and empty handed. Abnormally high temperatures affect animal behavior and significantly change their daily patterns. For hunters who spent months scouting for a hunt in a specific location, this can be a frustrating scenario.

That being said you can still achieve big time hunting success if you keep these tips in mind.

Shade – If you hunt hilly or mountainous terrain focus your efforts on shaded north facing slopes. Alternatively, if you’re hunting flat terrain try to concentrate on areas where a dense canopy of mature trees provides plenty of shade.

Water – Wooded creeks and rivers are significantly cooler than surrounding uplands. They also provide wild game with the extra drinking water they typically need in hot weather. The same is true of lake, pond and swamp edges which often feature dense shaded bedding cover nearby. Try to use the sound of moving water to mask your entry/exit into your stand.

Timing – Every hunter knows dawn and dusk are the best times of day but pay attention to swings in the weather. A windy day or slight temperature drop could make a big difference and provide an excellent hunting opportunity that would of otherwise not exist.

Setup – In hot weather wild game such as deer become sluggish, moving less frequently and covering less ground when they do move. This makes setting up tight to bedding areas a must.